Don’t Look Now has been named the best British film ever in Time Out‘s 100 Best British Films list.
The panel of critics included new James Bond director Sam Mendes, Wes Anderson and Made In Dagenham actress Sally Hawkins.
They voted director Nicolas Roeg‘s film ahead of the Orson Welles‘ 1949 film noir The Third Man and 1988 drama Distant Voices, Still Lives which came second and third respectively.
The film starred Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie as a grieving married couple who move to Venice to get over their death of their young child.
Informed of his film coming first in the poll, Roeg told the maagzine: “Well, it’s all very exciting indeed. It’s almost 40 years since I made the film now. It’s some time since I last saw it, but I see clips when I introduce it at festivals and it reminds me of that time and making it in Venice with Donald and Julie.”
Talking about the film’s iconic sex scene, Roeg added: “Sex, whether you like it or not, is the prime force of life. There is no other reason to be here. For me, sex is very rarely rude. It’s a fresh thing. I think people secretly connected to Don’t Look Now.”
Ken Loach‘s Kes came fourth in the list, The Red Shoes came fifth, while A Matter Of Life And Death, Performance, Kind Heart And Coronets, If and Trainspotting rounded out the Top 10.
See Timeout.com/film for more.